Forgive or Forget
by TheGoddessKnight
Summary: Sequel to 'Love and Betrayal'. Tifa is happily married to the man of her dreams. But that isnt Cloud. What will happen when he comes to visit? Will Tifa forget her vows or will she stick to them?


A/N: I felt like making a sequel to the Final Fantasy VII story that was well liked to those who took the time and read it. I'd like to thank them because many fanfiction(dot)com members rather read about the established characters from the source and ignore the troubled, the lovable, the detestable, and even the sympathetic characters an author creates in his or her own mind that could help create a better story. Sure, these are fanfictions but we are all unique. Some of us can write a story soley with what the original source has given us. Some of us want to give a character we love someone they deserve. This story is for those people who are brave enough and have an open-mind to read a story that has an OC with a canon character. Because without them, there wouldn't be an author like me…

As for this being a sequel, it won't be too hard to figure what's going on. I am good enough to fill you in enough to know what happened in the first part. But if you have the time and patience to read my older work, go read _Love and Betrayal_. Just check my profile, my one Final Fantasy VII story, but no the only work. I do have a half way decent poem for this game.

His or Mine

Tifa's eyes didn't leave the small screan that her strong yet gentle hands held. She waited, holding in her breath as she did. And then the result came in. Negative. Exactly like all the other times she had taken the test. No difference. Tifa finally exhaled her breath and ran a hand through her dark hair. A mix of sadness and dissapointment flooded over her. Guess she wasn't pregnant this time around either. Keeping her reddish brown eyes on the test, she thought about how much it meant to her if the test finally decided to do her a favor and say positive. She really wanted a family. She really wanted to start the family with the man she had married. And what was worse was that she wasn't the only one, that she wouldn't be the only one who would be happy when they heard the news, or the one who wanted it most. Chase, the man Tifa fell in love with, the one who took all the thoughts of Cloud away, the one that said 'I love you' first, was the one who brought up that starting a family would be wonderful. But, she couldn't tell him the news. She couldn't tell him that she had been tying to become pregnant for a while now. She couldnt utter that they werent yet to him. And she could barely even think that each day that passes and each failed test makes that dream so much farther off.

A soft rap came from the closed bathroom door. "Tifa?" asked Chase's voice from the other side.

"I'll be right out, honey," Tifa answered. She threw the nay saying test into the waste basket. A flawless shot. She looked up at the mirror and combed back a few stray strands of her hair. She turned and walked over to the door. She gripped the doorknob in her hand, somewhat sweaty from her nerves. She didn't like keeping things from Chase, but she wanted to protect him like he did to her, and this was something he needed protecting from. She took a deep breath, she had to make sure that, to him, everything seemed fine. Nothing could be off about her or else he'd start to worry. She turned the knob and opened up the door and the first thing she saw was her husband standing right there. Did Tifa snag a looker… He stood, slightly leaning his weight on his right leg, in those midnight dark slacks of his. A flawless crease and silky enough to look like he was somehow wearing dark water. And he had on his white button up dress shirt. Slightly wrinkled and untucked, buttoned up only to the button third from the top – showing off the chsistled chest of his. Tifa noted the rolled up sleeves, figuring that he was working downstairs. His own dark hair, slightly blue in the right light, fell into his sunglasses. Sunglasses, tinted glass that protected his gorgeous gray eyes from the light that hurt them so. "What is it Chase?" Tifa asked.

"Someone is on the phone for you," Chase responded. Tifa could sense the represses distaste in his tone. He held out the white cordless phone out for her and hesitantly said: " Here."

"Who is it?" Tifa asked as she took the phone from him.

Chase sighed, "He asked me not to tell you. A surprise, I suppose."

"Hello?" Tifa said into the reciever.

A bit of static was heard. Sometimes those cellphones have horrible reception. "Hey Tif, how you been?"

"Cloud?" Tifa asked in happy surprise. Look's like the ex-SOLDIER's hopeful wish for a surpise did come true. And it wasn't hard to miss the ear-to-ear smile Tifa had on her face when she realized who it was. And it was noticeable enough for Chase to smile half-heartedly before he turned to walk away, his black boots making a soft thud on the wooden floors. Tifa would bug him about what was bothering him later. After a few more moments, enough for the shock to wear off, she finally spoke, "I've been great, how about you?"

"Same ole, same ole, Tif," he answered. "What about that husband of yours… what was his name again? Uh… Chase! How's Chase doing?"

"He's been doing fine as well," Tifa responded back. That was a lie, Chase had been doing great. Great as a husband, provider, lover, anything you could think of. So, she couldn't have actually said that to Cloud because it couldve been taken any of those ways. Anythig couldve been taken out of context, something Tifa didn't want to happen. She had to be careful about what she said about one man to the other. She had to do everything she could to avoid hurting them. After all, Chase may have been man enough to know that Tifa wanted Cloud at their wedding. But, you would have had to have been blind to not see the dislike both of them had for one another. The tension was so thick that slicing it with the Buster Sword wouldve been overkill.

Cloud didn't say anything else or ask anything else about Chase for the rest of the conversation. "Listen Tif, I'm heading up there to Kalm in a few days. I kind of want to see everyone again. The whole gang really. Well, whoever is around there anyways… Cid is with Shear after all. But anyways… I want to see all of you again, including you Tifa. So I was wondering… since I have nowhere to stay-"

"Cloud," Tifa interrupted. "I run a bar slash inn, so of course you can stay here if you need to. I wouldn't have much business if I turned everyone away."

He chuckled. "Right, Tif. Alright then, so I guess I'll see you when I see you then. And make no mistake I'll see you… take care."

"Bye Cloud," Tifa said. "Drive safe."

"Will do," he added. "Bye."

Tifa sighed as she pressed the 'TALK' button on the phone to hang up. She looked over to her canopy bed that she really wanted for a long time. The one Chase had surprised her with. And speaking of her dashing husband, she had to check up on him. She didn't need him moping around the house when there was nothing wrong. She quickly exited their room and walked down the hall, passing all the happy moments memories of her and him, or whoever hanging from the walls. The stairs came and she descended them. She stood at the bottom and placed the phone back on the wall mounted base. The lights that flashed on it told her there were no missed calls or messages. She looked behind her and saw her husband, diligently working. He was elbow deep in the body of a computer tower, silently repairing whatever it was that was ailing it physically. Tifa snuck up on him and threw her arms around him, hugging him tight from the back. She kissed him on the cheek, "Couldve sworn you finished up that one."

Sure, Chase was a SOLDIER. Ex or whatever. But his real talent lay with his computer savvy that made him such a prospective target and employee for ShinRa. Chase was able to hack, fix, break, whatever to a computer so fast that it could make your head spin. What's more is that while he's at whatever he's doing, he can give the computer an extra special tweaking that makes it so much better than it was before. And he was good at what he did. Those fingers of his, God did Tifa knew how gentle and nimble they were, were his little workers that made his line of work so much easier. And for those reasons, he was the guy to come to when your machine was giving you some issues. So while he worked on one, he looked up to Tifa, his gray eyes coming out from the Rude styled sunglasses, "Its not the same one. Jefferson dropped it right by when… he had called."

"Oh, what's wrong?" she asked, placing her head on his shoulder watching him fiddle with the insides of the computer.

"Nothing's wrong," he quickly answered, his eyes going back to work.

"Don't give me that," Tifa said. She took her hand and forced his head to look at her. "I know when something's wrong. It easy to see when you hardly ever get this was. What is it?"

Chase sighed, there was never any winning with Tifa… ever. First thing he found out when he started dating her. And it became the first rule of the house when he had moved in with her. And then she became infallible when he married her. And Chase had known all of that for a year and a half now. "Its Cloud, Tifa. I know he's one of your closest friends. I can understand that he was the first person that you…" he left the rest of the sentence dangled in the air, hoping she would finish it for him. But it quickly became apparent that she wasn't. "Loved. But, it's how I've grown up… I had never learned to forgive. I never learned to forget. And I cent sit here and really approve of him when he hurt you so bad. And I guess its because I love you so much that I hate knowing that your lovely smile had disappeared for so long and your mesmerizing eyes dropped tears. I just don't want anything to ever hurt you. I know it doesn't help that I'm being a giant hypocrite, after all I did hurt you and you forgave me."

Tifa kept her eyes locked with his before she turned him around in his swivel chair and plopped down on his lap. With her eyes still with his, "Yes, I've been able to forgive him. Yes, I've been able to forgive you. You were special though. I haven't the foggiest clue why you are, but you are. Before I met you Chase, I couldn't have forgive Cloud at all. He hurt me bad. And you helped me to forget what he did and then to forgive him. You helped me move on. And I love you Chase. You mean the world to me. The worst part is that I fell for you from the get go. Sure, I tried to deny it because you were a stranger. You were another guy and I couldn't trust, let alone fall, for someone like that. And you had proved me right. Right until you risked everything you had to save me and the people most important in my life. People you had never met in your life before. That means a lot to me."

Chase kept quiet. The truth can leave anyone stunned.

Tifa smiled and leaned in to kiss him. But right when their lips were about to meet, the bar's front door opened, jingling the little bell above it. It then slammed shut, forcefully.

"I swear Ms. Kent is out to get me. Its nothing but more and more assignments each week. Please someone shoot me now," Valerie said as she walked in, effectively ruining the moment. She was taking off her slate blue scarf she wore to combat the cold winters in Kalm. Decembers were just ready to dismember if you weren't ready. Taking off her coat and hanging it on the coat rack, she had turned around to see her brother and her sister-in-law, "It was one of the moment again… wasn't in it?"

Chase nodded, making sure his sister knew it. Tifa laughed lightly and got off of him. "I take it class didn't go over to well? How about I make you something? You love my strawberry ice cream don't you, how about that?"

"Oh, please Tifa!" Valerie said excitedly. Unlike most people, Valerie had developed an accent from her times as an orphan on the streets. So her 'Tifa' sounded like she should've added 'nny' at the end of it. But aside from that she was a nice girl. So Valerie made her way over to the bar and sat down on a stool. She put her bag down and made sure she got comfortable on the stool.

Chase went back to work. Speaking loud enough for both of his women he loved most in the world, he said: "And nothing means more to me than you allowing my little sister, who has the best timing in the world, to stay with us."

"Up yours, bro," Valerie said as she dug into her backpack to pull out her homework. "Not my fault you were trying to get a little something from the wife when you know when I get outta class."

"She's right you know," Tifa said as she laid the bowl of her world-famous ice cream in front of Valerie. She took a clean rag and began to wipe the bar off. A smirk came on her face, "Not that it matters if you ruin this moment, there'll be later."

"To much info, Tifa," Valerie said as she started on her ice cream. "Just way too much into."

Tifa kept her smile on as her eyes left Valerie and turned to Chase. She watched him keep tinkering with the computer. And it made her wonder why he worked as hard as he did. Seventh Heaven, her bar slash inn, made more than enough gil to support her and her husband, his sister, and just about anyone else she could think of. But it all came together when he surprised her with something nice. A ring one month, a diamond necklace the next, dinner at some truly romantic restaurant… probably just a way he could get her to wear one of those dresses Tifa had. He doesn't know when to stop spoiling her, not that she minded that he kept at it. Just showed her how much he really cared for her. And as she leaned on the counter, watching him work, her smile grew wider with passing memories of their date before they were married…

_Chase walked Tifa up to the door of her home. Seventh Heaven never looked __better than it did after Tifa remodeled it. But the bar was only a thought in both of their minds as their date slowly came to an end. __So before Tifa would look for her keys so she could open the door and head inside, she looked up to Chase and he looked down at her. _

_"Hope you had a good time, Ms. Lockhart," he said, flashing a modest smile to Tifa. He enjoyed teasing her a bit, and nothing got her more like him calling her that. _

_"Chase!" she said, slapping him playfully on the shoulder. "We've been going out long enough for you to just call me Tifa!" She smiled, "And I had a great time tonight." _

_He laughed softly, "You got it Tifa. So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Good night." He said the last part strangely quiet as he started down the steps. _

_Tifa sighed and rolled her eyes. Sure Chase was able to lay one on her when they were cold and fighting for their lives. But once everything went back to normal, he could barely work enough of courage to wrap an arm around her whenever they took a walk. Tifa had enough and grabbed the collar of his jacket. He turned around and Tifa leaned in to kiss him. After a few seconds, she broke the kiss, "Good night, Chase." _

_"Uh," Chase uttered. Tifa smiled and turned around to open her door. She waved good bye and turned the knob to get inside. "Good night, Tifa."_

Tifa stood up straight, first thing's first. Chase may have been an understanding, open-minded, dead handesome man. And he had his adorably cute moments. But she couldn't spring up news like Cloud visiting ive minuted before hand. "Chase, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked as she walked up to him.

"Oooh, your in such deep trouble," Valerie said as she finished her ice cream. She grabbed her bag before she went up the stairs, with a micheavous smile on her face. Maybe it was the little sister thing but she loved seeign Chase getting into trouble.

Chase looked up to her. The gears in his mind already turning. "Sure Tifa, I can always spare a minute for you. What is it?" he asked. Tifa could tell what those gears were getting at and how Chase was bracing himself for the worst of news.

Putting on her saddest, cutest face on for a show. The one she needed to use when she needed Chase to do or agree to something he didn't initially like. She pitched her voice high, "Chase, I know your not going to like it. But I'd really like it if you were okay with this…"

"What is it?" Chase asked. The worry in his voice was noticeable. No use in hiding that he was ready to hear that Cloud was coming to visit.

She took a deep breath. Here goes nothing, "Cloud's visiting and he needs a place to stay."

"No," Chase said quickly before returning to his work.

"But Chase!" Tifa argued.

"No," he said again. It was understanble why he didn't like the idea at all. But Tifa knew he would always want her happy. And this would make her really happy. And when she was hapy, he was happy. Tifa also knew that Chase would always try to do everythign possible and more to make sure she'd be happy. And she hoped it would work this time. She also hoped that she wouldn't regret making him doing it later on…

"Chase, you know that I don't ask for much," Tifa said.

"That's a lie," Chase muttered under his breath.

"Chase please, he wont stay long. Come on, is it a little jealousy I'm sensing?" she teased.

"No," Chase said quickly and quietly.

"You are jealous!" Tifa said. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him in a tight embrace. She pulled away and looked at him, gently pulling off his sunglasses. She loved to look at his steel gray eyes that were cool to the touch. And even though his eyes could write all the worry he had about her with Cloud, they easily hid behind tinted glass. So she decided to make herself comfortable, and sat on his lap and stared into his worry filled eyes. "Chase, there's no one else that I'm in love with _but_ you. And Cloud doesn't even like me like that. So don't worry, because there's very little he can do to hurt me or us."

Chase siged but when he was about to speak, he felt Tifa's lips on his. She pulled away and a subtle touch of red came into his cheeks. "Whether I said yes or no wouldn't have mattered, he was staying either way."

"I know," Tifa said. "But I want you to at least be okay with it. But if it really bothers you that much…"

"Tifa," he said softly. He took a deep breath. It was Cloud, got to try and do anything he could to try to get along with him. "I just don't like him." Never said you had to like him. "I hope you can forgive me for that. But him visiting means a lot to you. So he can stay here. I'm fine with that much."

Tifa smiled, "Thank you, Chase. That means your going to try to get on some good terms with him then."

"Anythinf for you Tifa," Chase said. This time he was the one who leaned in and kissed her. He wrapped hiss strong arms around her, completetly forgetting about work. And who wouldn't with a wife like Tifa? Chase countd himself lucky. He was so grateful for finding Tifa and only wished he could take back the wrong he did to her. She was his world, his life, his everything. And try as he did when he first met her, he did fall in love with her. And that was unexpected, but he couldn't have embraced it any better. He may have been unlucky with women before but meeting with Tifa was like him getting the jackpot.

Tifa leaned back, "Listen Chase, I know we both hate it but pretty soon this place is going to get packed."

"Yeah, cant put on a show for the drunks," Chase said, rolling his eyes.

Tifa laughed. For the second time that, she got off of Chase's lap. "Right, we can't put on a show for them… it's not for anyone to watch."

"Are you two still at it?" Valerie askes as she came down the stairs. She sighed, "What should I expect from you two? Married people…" She went over and flicked on a television behind the bar. Seventh Heaven didn't skip out on anything. It had its sahre of televisions scattered thoughout the place. But the one in question was behind the bottles, the really nice big, widescree high definition one. Valerie ducked under and was then behind the counter, and then crouched underneath the bottle shelf.

"And here we go again," Tifa said as she watched Valerie. She used the normal way of getting back behind the bar. Her sister-in-law was back there fiddling with some cables. "So is Yuffie staying the night this time?"

Valerie popped up, "Not sure, but we are so getting past the Astral Place today. I can bet my external hard drive on it."

"And risk all your boy band songs?" Chase teased.

"Shut up!" Valerie yelled. "Should've never given me a laptop knowing all to well that I know where to download any song I want along with the internet to do so."

"I didn't expect that you'd know that much about computers," Chase argued. "Alas, that isnt the my problem. We should charge you for all the energy you suck up."

Tifa laughed, "Be nice to your sister, Chase."

"Do I have to?" he joked.

"Anyways," Valerie said as she wiped the metaphorical sweat off of her brow. "There, hooked it up so now I'm done here."

Pancakes, Chase's kitty cat, came out from underneath the bar. He yawned, obviously just woken up from all the noise that was going around him. He walked over to Chase and hopped into his lap. Chase took one hand and stroked Pancake's head. Even with his calm exterior, in the inside was another story. He didn't like Cloud. That was what he said to Tifa. But it was better for her to know that Chase just didn't like him. What he really thought about Cloud was something else entirely. Enough to use words not suitable enough to be printed here and garner a sutiable rating. It was all for the simple fact that Cloud had hurt Tifa so much when she needed him the most. Chase didn't believe in second chances. Himself included. Tifa knows the masochistic beahvior of Chase. A way to punish himself for the wrong he did to her. And while he was thankful Tifa forgave him, he wouldve understood and probably expected that she never wanted to see him ever again. So as far as Cloud stood with Chase, and he was this far along just because Tifa wanted to see him, he treaded on thin, cracking ice. Chase turned to his sister, "So then leave."

Valerie scoffed. He could be so uncaring sometimes. "I know when I'm not wanted." She stuck her tongue out and went back up to her room.

"Chase," Tifa said softly, not really caring about what was going on between the two. She figure it was as good a time as ever to come clean about her failure to become pregnant. Hell, while making his life hard, let's add some salt to the wound. Of course Tifa didn't mean it like that but that's how it was. Pretty soon he'll see one of those negative tests in the waste basket and ask about it. Might as well tell him.

Chase turned to her. His eyes uncovered by the shades of his shades. And Tifa could read all the thoughts he was wrestling with about Cloud. The first love returning to tray and get on good terms. And it was all understandable. Chase worshipped the ground Tifa walked on, the air she breathed, and all the time he had with her. He gave his heart to her. He didn't want to lose hers and have his shattered just because Cloud could say something to her she had always been wanting to hear. "What is it Tifa?" he spoke. "Something wrong?"

Tifa couldn't do it. Why make him feel worse? Why break his heart? "That was mean!" Go apologize to your sister," she said, pointing to the stairs. Not to bad for something she just thought up.

"Wait, what?" he asked, totally confused. Tifa understood the sibling spats most of the time. "Why?"

"That is no way to treat your little sister," Tifa argued. Just take it Chase, its either that or know you've been shooting blanks.

He sighed and stood up. He always makes sure Tifa's satisfied. And he guessed, if she wanted him to apologize, he'd apologize. "Alright, I'll go up and apologize," he said, still rather lost.

She watched him go up the stairs. She let out her breath that she had been keeping in. At least he thought that was it. And then the bar door swung open.

"Tifa! Cloud's coming!" Yuffie yelled as she ran inside the bar.

Tifa chuckled, holding her hand near her mouth to keep from busting out laughing. "Yeah I know Yuffie. He called me not too long ago asking for a room to stay in."

Yuffie stared at her, "So wait… you know he's coming _AND_ he's staying here?" She took a deep breath. "Listen, Tif, if you ask me… that isnt the smartest thing to do."

"You mean letting him stay here? Tifa asked. Like she needed to anyways. She looked away, "Maybe I did get a little excited about Cloud coming. I know… he never gave me the time if day let alone tell me how good I look."

"Well that's why you have Chase," Yuffie said. "That man has no off switch when it comes to you."

Tifa smiled and laughed. She combed back some of her hair, "Well anwyays Yuffie, I know how I am when it comes to Cloud. I loved him you know… but Chase knows I'm in love with him so says its going to be fine."

"Tifa," Yuffie said. "cloud isnt just gonna come to see the gang and leave. If anything, he's coming casue he wants to see you. You gotta remember that you were special to him as well. But knowing him he probably knows that your happy and he's lost his chance. Buuuuuuuuuuuut, that's all beside the real point."

"Yuffie, will you just spit it out?" Tifa asked. "Where do you see the big bad parts?"

"Okay, things between those two arent good. Barrest said that if their eys could shoot lasers, they wouldn't have those eys for long the way thay shot glares at each other. I'm just saying that a few days with each other might be too much for them to handle," Yuffie explained.

"Come on, have a little bit more faith in them," Tifa said.

"Faith?" Yuffie repeated in question. "Not for nothing but wasn't one of Cloud's reason for gaoing against Sephiroth was to avenge Aerith? And Chase, isnt he a bit nochalant at the thought that he killed a man? Face it Tif, you love the dangerous ones. And… when you think about Chase… he must be a tad sadistic."

"What makes you say that?" Tifa asked.

And Chase came back down the stairs. He noticed Yuffie, "Oh, Ms. Kisaragi, didn't hear you come in. Valerie will be pleased."

Yuffie looked from Chase to tifa. She stood from the bar, "Valerie told me." She then yelled: "Hey Val gal, ready to ge through that level?" Yuffie went over to the stairs and climbed them to get to Valerie's room.

"Well, I apologized," Chase declared.

"That's good."

"I, again, ask why," Chase said.

"Because we cant you being to dominate in this house," Tifa said. "It is _my_ house after all. And when we start a family, we got to know when we're wrong."

Chase smiled and nodded, "Guess your right."

Tifa smiled and leaned over the bar. "Love you, Chase."

Chase sat at the bad, on a stool across from Tifa. He leaned in as well, "Love you too… Mrs. Lockhart-Sable." She was about to say soemthing before he caught her off guard and kissed her.

Closing Comments::sigh:: I get pissed off at my dad each time I write for FFVII one way or another. Good thing I have something to do to take my mind off me pissed off…


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